The Story of France with Firown (Pharaoh)

Is it possible that this mummy in front of me is the one who was chasing Moses?:Professor Maurice Bucaille

THOUGHTS ON FORGIVENESS

One of the best gifts that we can offer ourselves is forgiveness

Miracles Of The Quran

The unprecedented style and the superior wisdom inherent in the Qur'an is conclusive evidence confirming that it is the Word of God.

The Truth About Jesus Christ

Tells the truth about Christianity-How the gospels are unreliable- Audience member shouts at him a few times.

Parent-Child Relationship in Islam

Islam recognises family as a basic social unit. Along with the husband-wife relationship the Parent-child relationship is the most important one

Editor's Picks

20 December 2010

Why our Du'as are not answered







"and your Lord says: "Call on me I will answer your prayer..." [40:60]

Ibrahim ibn Adham - may Allah have mercy on him - a third century scholar, a teacher and a companion of Sufyan ath-Thawri, was asked about the saying of Allah - the Most High: 

 "We supplicate and we are not answered."  So he said to them: 

  • You know Allah, Yet you do not obey Him,
  • You recite the Qur'an, Yet do not act according to it,
  • You know Shaitan, Yet you have agreed with him,
  • You proclaim that you love Muhammad Yet you abandon his Sunnah,
  • You proclaim your love for Paradise, Yet you do not act to gain it,
  • You proclaim your fear the Fire, Yet you do not prevent yourselves from sins,
  • You say "Indeed death is true", Yet you have not prepared for it,
  • You point out the faults with others, Yet you do not look at your faults,
  • You eat of that which Allah has provided for you, Yet you do not thank Him,
  • You bury your dead, Yet you do not take a lesson from it."

11 December 2010

Why ASHURA is important?

The Day of ‘Ashura: The Children of Israel were saved from Pharaoh and His Army Who drowned 

"And (remember) when We delivered you from Fir'awn's (Pharoah) people, who were afflicting you with a horrible torment, killing your sons and sparing your women, and therein was a mighty trial from your Lord. And (remember) when We separated the sea for you and saved you and drowned Fir'awn's (Pharoah) people while you were watching." - Quran 2:49-50

The Children of Israel were saved from Pharaoh and His Army Who drowned

Allah said to the Children of Israel, “Remember My favor on you

"And (remember) when We delivered you from Fir’awn 's (Pharaoh) people, who were afflicting you with a horrible torment...."

Meaning ‘I - Allah - saved you from them and delivered you from their hands in the company of Musa, after they subjected you to horrible torture.’ This favor came after the cursed Pharaoh had a dream in which he saw a fire emerge from Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and then the fire entered the houses of the Coptics in Egypt, with the exception of the Children of Israel. Its purport was that his kingship would be toppled by a man among the Children of Israel. It was also said that some of Pharaoh’s entourage said that the Children of Israel were expecting a man among them to arise who would establish a state for them. We will mention the Hadith on this subject when we explain Surat Ta Ha (20), Allah willing. After the dream, Pharaoh ordered that every newborn male among the Children of Israel be killed and that the girls be left alone. He also commanded that the Children of Israel be given tasks of hard labor and assigned the most humiliating jobs.

The torment here refers to killing the male infants. In Surat Ibrahim (14) this meaning is clearly mentioned,

"Who were afflicting you with horrible torment, and were slaughtering your Sons and letting your women live." - Quran 14:6

We will explain this Ayah in the beginning of Surat AI-Qasas (28), Allah willing, and our reliance and trust are with Him.

The meaning of, [who were afflicting you]is, “They humiliated you,” as Abu 'Ubaydah stated. It was also said that it means, “They used to exaggerate in tormenting you” according to Al-Qurtubi. As for Allah saying, [killing your sons and sparing your women] that explains His statement, [who were afflicting you with horrible torment] then it explains the meaning of the favour He gave them, as mentioned in His statement, [Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you].

As for what Allah said in Surat Ibrahim, [And remind them of the annals of Allah] (14:5) meaning, the favours and blessing He granted them, He then said,

"Who were afflicting you with horrible torment, and were slaughtering your Sons and letting your women live." - Quran 14:6

So Allah mentioned saving their children from being slaughtered in order to remind them of the many favors that He granted them.

We should state here that 'Pharaoh’ (Fir’awn) is a title that was given to every disbelieving king who ruled Egypt, whether from the ‘Amaliq (Canaanites) or otherwise, just as Caesar (Qaysar) is the title of the disbelieving kings who ruled Rome and Damascus. Also, Khosrau (Kisra) is the title of the kings who ruled Persia, while Tubb’a is the title of the kings of Yemen, and the kings of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) were called Negus (An-Najashi).

Allah said,
And therein was a mighty trial from your Lord

Ibn Jarir commented that this part of the Ayah means, “Our saving your fathers from the torment that they suffered by the hand of Pharaoh, is a great blessing from your Lord" [1] We should mention that in the blessing there is a test, the same as with hardship, for Allah said,


"And We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good" - Quran 21:35

"And We tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn (to obey Allah.)" - Quran 7:168

Allah’s statement next,

And (remember) when We separated the sea for you and saved you and drowned Fir’awn ‘s (Pharaoh) people while you were watching 



means, ‘After We saved you from Fir’awn and you escaped with Musa; Fir’awn went out in your pursuit and We parted the sea for you.’ Allah mentioned this story in detail, as we will come to know, Allah willing. One of the shortest references to this story is Allah’s statement,[And saved you] meaning, “We saved you from them, drowning them while you watched, bringing relief to your hearts and humiliation to your enemy.”

Fasting the day of 'Ashura'

It was reported that the day the Children of Israel were saved from Fir’awn was called the day of ‘Ashura’. Imam Ahmad reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah came to Al-Madinah and found that the Jews were fasting the day of ‘Ashura’. He asked them, “What is this day that you fast?” They said, “This is a good day during which Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy, and Musa used to fast this day.” The Messenger of Allah sallalahu alayhe was salam said, I have more right to Musa than you have.

So the Messenger of Allah sallalahu'alayhi'was'salam fasted that day and ordered that it be fasted. This Hadith was collected by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, An-Nasai and Ibn Majah

08 December 2010

10 Events Surrounding September 11

People all over the world are familiar with what happened on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four US commercial passenger jet airliners and intentionally crashed two of them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The Twin Towers collapsed within two hours of being struck by the planes. Civilians from over 70 countries were killed in the attacks, with a total of 2,995 casualties. In the months before and after September 11, many important international events occurred. On October 7, 2001, the US military’s Operation Enduring Freedom was launched, starting the War in Afghanistan. This list will be documenting ten news stories and international events surrounding September 11, 2001.

10 - Enron Scandal Revealed
Most Americans are familiar with the failure of the Enron Corporation. Enron was an American energy company based out of Houston, Texas. In 2000, Enron was one of the largest businesses in the world. They had working operations in many areas, mainly electricity, natural gas, communications and pulp and paper. Amazingly, Enron claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion in 2000. The problems for Enron started from the beginning, when a group of executives in the company began misleading the board of directors and audit committee. They did this by hiding billions of dollars in debt, acquired from failed deals and projects. In the months following 9/11, the illegal activity caught up with Enron and the company failed. Enron stock holders lost nearly $11 billion, and the resulting scandal marked the largest bankruptcy reorganization in American history at that time.

The Enron scandal ended the business career of accounting firm Arthur Andersen. Arthur Andersen Corporation was found guilty of unlawful practice in the auditing of Enron. In October of 2001, one month after the attacks in New York and Washington, details of the Enron scandal were leaked to the world press. The story sparked a panic among Enron stock holders, and by December 2, 2001, Enron Corp. filed for one of the largest corporate bankruptcies in US history, with assets of $63.4 billion. Because of the failure, new regulations and legislation were enacted to expand the reliability of financial reporting for public companies. Many conspiracy theories have been formed around the Enron Scandal, and the date on which it was revealed to the public. Most of these claims document the ties between former Texas Governor George W. Bush and Enron founder Kenneth Lay.

09 - Executive Order 13233

In 1972, thousands of official and unofficial FBI records were destroyed, upon the death of J. Edgar Hoover. In fact, in the past it was common practice for high ranking officials to destroy their most important business documents. For this reason, in 1974 the US Congress passed the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act, placing the presidential records of Richard Nixon in federal custody to prevent their destruction. The Act was meant to reduce secrecy at the highest levels of government, and to give historians the materials they need to perform their duties. The Presidential Records Act of 1978 expanded such protection of historical records. This was accomplished by mandating that all records of former presidents automatically become the property of the federal government upon leaving the Oval Office. 

The presidential papers of Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush were due to be made public when George W. Bush took office in January, 2001. However, George W. Bush first delayed the release for 90 days, and then repeated the action, pushing the date back into September, 2001. On November 1, 2001, Bush issued Executive Order 13233, limiting public access to the records of former U.S. presidents. The Bush executive order also includes the documents of former vice presidents. Many people were critical of this action, claiming that it violated both the “spirit and letter of existing US laws.” The order severely curtailed public access to presidential records and added to delays in obtaining materials from presidential libraries. On January 21, 2009, Executive Order 13233 was revoked, by executive order of President Barack Obama on his first day in office. Obama essentially restored the original Executive Order 12667.

During his presidency, George W. Bush was accused of acting in violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1978. In 2007, the Bush White House e-mail controversy was revealed. The event started when George W. Bush initiated the, unprecedented, midterm dismissal of seven United States Attorneys on December 7, 2006. The U.S. attorneys were replaced with interim appointees, under provisions in the 2005 USA PATRIOT Act reauthorization. Following the action, a congressional request was called looking for documents indicating why the attorneys were fired. This caused the Bush administration to reveal the fact that not all internal White House emails were available, because they were sent via a non-government domain, that was hosted on an e-mail server not controlled by the federal government. In 2009, it was announced that as many as 22 million emails may have been deleted by the Bush administration.

08 - 2001 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Hurricane Erin was the first, and longest lived, hurricane in the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm developed from a tropical wave on September 1, 2001, and by September 9 it strengthened into a full blown hurricane. Hurricane Erin passed within 100 miles of Bermuda, and created nasty weather and rip currents along the East Coast of the United States. On September 11, Erin decelerated as it turned to the east, but the hurricane would gain power over Canada and not dissipate until September 15. It is an interesting story because many flights and air traffic control workers were directly affected by Hurricane Erin. The storm produced 6 foot swells off the coast of North Carolina.

The second hurricane of the 2001 season struck on September 12, 2001. The storm is named Hurricane Felix and it originated 1,500 miles (2414 km) south of the Azores. Felix did not impact land, but caused weather problems for boats and aircraft. Hurricane Gabrielle was the third hurricane recorded during the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm developed on September 11, 2001, in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. By September 13, Gabrielle intensified and accelerated northeastward toward Venice, Florida. On September 14, the storm made landfall near Venice, Florida, and was soon categorized as a hurricane. Hurricane Gabrielle caused heavy rainfall and bad weather conditions in Florida, Alabama, Bermuda and Canada. Three people were reported to have died in the storm, and it caused $230 million in damages. It is truly unfortunate that the September 11th terrorist attacks fell in line with a string of high powered hurricanes.

07 - Abnormal Stock Trading

In the week prior to 9/11, an “extraordinary” amount of put options were placed on United Airlines and American Airlines stocks. If you are unfamiliar with the stock market, a put option is financial contract between two parties that will offer the buyer insurance against a company’s excessive loss. Someone who purchases a put option is expecting a stock to drop or they are protecting their assets. Between September 6 and 7, 4,744 put options were purchased on United Airlines stock, compared to 396 call options. On September 10, 4,516 put options were purchased on American Airlines, as compared to 748 call options. The trading activity was 600% above the normal level. United and American Airlines were the only two companies who had planes hijacked on 9/11. There were also an abnormal number of put options purchased in companies who had a stake in the World Trade Centers. 

The majority of the suspicious trading was linked to Deutsche Bank Alex Brown. On September 12, 2001, the head of the bank, Mayo A. Shattuck III, resigned from office. The previous director of the bank was A. B. Krongard, who is the former head of the CIA. Citigroup Inc and Morgan Stanley also received an abnormal number of put options, and both companies held offices in the World Trade Centers, and saw a decrease in stock price after the attacks. On September 10, 2001, Raytheon, a defense contractor, had an anomalously high number of call options traded. The Securities and Exchange Commission launched an insider trading investigation, in which Osama Bin Laden was a suspect, but no action was taken. The trading was traced to areas all over the world, with most activity occurring in the UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, France and the US.

In the days prior to 9/11, the Chicago Exchange saw the highest number of United and American Airlines options traded in history. The names of the investors remain a mystery, because they never claimed their money. After it was discovered that a single U.S.-based institutional investor, with no conceivable ties to al Qaeda, purchased a large amount of these options, the 9/11 Commission dismissed the importance of the events. Unfortunately, the abnormal trading did not tip off law enforcement, as intelligence agencies constantly monitor the stock exchange and the sudden rise in activity could have allowed analysts to “connect the dots” and see that a major event was about to take place involving American Airlines, United Airlines and The World Trade Centers. However, nobody could have imagined the scale of the tragedy.

06 - Death of Ahmad Shah Massoud

In 1979, the Soviet Union began their ten year long conflict with Afghanistan. Ahmad Shah Massoud was a military leader that played a leading role in driving the Soviet army out of Afghanistan in the late 1980s. His military prowess made him a hero in Afghanistan, earning him the nickname Lion of Panjshir. During the war, Massoud was known for his strategic and mass ambushes against Soviet and Afghan convoys. In 1983, the Soviets offered Massoud a truce, which he accepted. He then turned his attention to expanding the Afghan resistance movement, and liberating the northern provinces of Afghanistan. Massoud’s military forces were considered the most effective of all the various Afghan resistance movements.

In the middle of the 1990s, the Taliban took control of approximately 90 percent of Afghanistan. In response, Massoud formed an alliance to fight the Taliban, and provided shelter for people fleeing Afghan cities. However, on September 9, 2001, two days prior to 9/11, Ahmad Shah Massoud was killed by a suicide bomber at Khwaja Bahauddin, in Takhar Province, northeastern Afghanistan. The assassins may have intended to attack several Northern Alliance council members simultaneously because others were killed. Prior to his death, Massoud had warned the European Parliament that a terrorist attack was evident. The timing of the assassination is considered significant by people who believe Osama bin Laden ordered the murder, and wanted Massoud dead before staging the 9/11 attacks. Ahmad Shah Massoud died a national hero, and hundreds of thousands of people attended his funeral. The date of his death, September 9, is observed as a national holiday in Afghanistan, known as Massoud Day.

05 - US Government Exercises

On September 11, 2001, the United States government held a series of military exercises and drills. Operation Northern Vigilance was a NORAD operation, which involved deploying fighter aircraft to the northwestern part of North America, specifically Alaska and Northern Canada. The exercise was one part simulation, one part real world. It was in response to a similar test acted out by Russia on September 11, where long-range bombers were dispatched to Russia’s high north. The exercises were immediately called off after the news of the terrorist attacks and all simulated information was purged from NORADs computer screens. However, the event was a distraction for the US government on 9/11.

Operation Northern Vigilance was not the only US exercise planned for September 11. A series of war games were also acted out, specifically Global Guardian. Global Guardian is an annual, command-level exercise held in the United States. It is an important task, and the purpose of the drill is to test and validate US nuclear command, control and execution procedures. Vigilant Guardian is an exercise that was run in conjunction with Global Guardian. It involved a simulated bomber attack from the former Soviet Union. The drill was conducted in real time, and appeared legitimate in offices and on computers, but without any planes in the air. One of the drills included was a traditional simulated hijacking.

The National Reconnaissance Office drill that was being conducted on September 11, 2001, is the strangest. In the exercise, a simulated small aircraft crashed into one of the towers at the NRO headquarters. No plane was involved in the drill, but to simulate damage from the crash, some stairwells and exits were closed off. A bioterrorism exercise was planned for September 12, 2001. It was named Operation Tripod and included a real life test of the US plan to distribute antibiotics to an entire city population during a bioterrorism attack.

04 - Nimda Virus
In the months before and after September 11, 2001, the United States was bombarded with a series of cyber attacks. A group of criminals exposed vulnerabilities in the Microsoft operating system, and created a buffer overflow virus, which executed arbitrary code and infected hundreds of thousands of computers. By July 19, 2001, the amount of infected hosts reached over 350,000 zombies. A series of separate viruses named Code Red I and Code Red II crippled valuable servers and made calculated attacks on US government computers.
On September 18, 2001, a new virus attacked United States operating systems. The worm was given the name Nimda, and it was an advanced version of Code Red II. Some might say that the Code Red viruses were created in preparation for the much larger Nimda attack, which was executed the week following the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Due to the release date of the virus, members of the American government speculated on a link between the cyber attacks and Al Qaeda, but this theory ended up proving unfounded. The American media did not report much on the virus because of the terrorist attacks. 

Multiple propagation vectors allowed Nimda to become the Internet’s most widespread and dangerous virus. It took only 22 minutes for the worm to rip through the American financial sector, causing over $3 billion in damage. The Nimda virus was so effective because it used five different infection vectors. People could, and still can, get the virus via e-mail, open network shares, infected websites, exploitation or via back doors left behind by the Code Red II virus. The group of people behind the Nimda virus and the theft of billions of dollars are unknown. The event greatly damaged the world’s financial sector and economy.

03 - Wave of Accidents


In the months following September 11, 2001, there was a wave of international accidents and events. On September 21, 2001, the AZF chemical factory located near Toulouse, France exploded. The event occurred when three hundred tons of ammonium nitrates ignited. The blast left a crater at the depth of 20 to 30 m (65 to 100 ft), with a diameter of 200 m (650 ft). It was a major incident in France, and 29 people were killed. The event is recognized as an environmental catastrophe, and the total damages already paid by insurance groups are exceeding 1.5 billion euros. The blast is believed to have occurred due to the improper handling of ammonium nitrate, including the mixing of chemical impurities. However, on October 2, 2001, France’s then Environment Minister, Yves Cochet, announced that the explosion “may have been a terrorist attack” and identified Hassan Jandoubi as a person of interest.

On October 4, 2001, Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 crashed over the Black Sea. The plane was en route from Tel Aviv, Israel to Novosibirsk, Russia, and all 78 people aboard were killed. The crash was initially thought to be a terrorist attack, since an Armenian plane near the scene reported seeing the Russian plane explode before it crashed into the sea. However, American intelligence reported that the crash was due to an errant S-200 surface to air missile fired as part of a Ukrainian Air Defense Forces exercise. Many people have labeled this hypothesis unlikely, considering the missiles range and safety features, claiming that the US was in fear of mass hysteria with yet another terrorist attack in the weeks following September 11. Ultimately, the government of Ukraine officially recognized their military’s fault in the accident and started negotiating compensation payments for victims’ relatives.

On November 12, 2001, the United States experienced its second deadliest aviation accident in history. It occurred when American Airlines Flight 587 crashed into a Belle Harbor neighborhood of Queens, New York. The accident took place two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and it caused panic in New York. Thousands of people witnessed the Airbus A300 crash to the ground, killing all 260 people on board. Many people reported a fire and explosion before the plane crashed, but the National Transportation Safety Board attributed the disaster to the first officer’s overuse of rudder controls. Al-Qaeda has listed the crash among its successes, but physical evidence was never presented indicating terrorist activity. Surprisingly, the story was widely underreported in the United States, considering the magnitude of the crash. In the months after the tragedy, rumors were circulated that suggested that the plane was exploded by a shoe bomber, similar to the failed attempt of Richard Reid, but these claims are unsubstantiated.

02 - 2001 Anthrax Attacks

Most people are familiar with the wave of anthrax attacks waged against the United States in the weeks following September, 11. Beginning on September, 18, a group of letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to US media outlets, and the offices of two US senators. In all, five people were killed in the terrorist activity, and seventeen others were seriously affected. The letters addressed to the US senators, Democrats Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, were laced with a highly refined dry anthrax powder. Shortly after the first wave of attacks, two letters were sent to the New York Post and NBC News. The letters contained threats mentioning 9/11, and implied a new wave of terrorist activity. For this reason, it was highly reported in America that Al-Qaeda was behind the 2001 anthrax attacks.

On September 11, George W. Bush and the White House staff began taking a regimen of Cipro, which is a powerful antibiotic. This activity has led to a list of conspiracy theories accusing the US government of having pre-knowledge of the anthrax attacks. The investigation into the crimes was one of the longest and most complex in the history of law enforcement. Ultimately, investigators began to focus their attention on an American scientist named Bruce Edwards Ivins. Ivins worked at the US government’s biodefense labs at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland. After extensive research, on August 6, 2008, federal prosecutors declared Bruce Edwards Ivins to be the sole culprit of the 2001 anthrax attacks. He committed suicide on July 29, 2008, after learning that he was going to be formally charged with the crimes. One would think that a media circus would have ensued, but little was mentioned about Bruce Edwards Ivins in the US press. His motives for blaming the attacks on Al-Qaeda are unknown.

01 - USA PATRIOT Act

On October 26, 2001, US President George W. Bush enacted the USA PATRIOT Act. The bill was in direct response to the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11. The goal of the Act was to reduce restrictions on law enforcement and government officials when investigating criminal activity. It gave international law organizations the right to probe and search citizen’s e-mail, medical, financial and personal records. Some of the main sections of the law enacted restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering, expanded the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions, and broadened immigration laws in regards to detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts. The bill was passed by a wide margin in the US Congress. It was supported by some people and seen as an attack on civil liberties by others. 

Entire websites have been dedicated to examining the Patriot Acts apparent lack of safeguards surrounding the rights of American citizens and foreign advocates. The bill made significant amendments to over 15 important constitutional statutes. The sections of the Patriot Act discussing Internet supervision and monitoring are confusing and extensive, ultimately reaching far beyond simple e-mail correspondence. One of the most surprising aspects of the USA PATRIOT Act is the lack of public and media debate regarding its introduction. Before September 11, provisions of the Act related to electronic surveillance were proposed and highly debated. However, many people feel that the Patriot Act has helped make America a safer place and stopped terrorist activity. In the first part of 2010, Barack Obama signed a one-year extension on several provisions in the Patriot Act.

01 December 2010

Very Beautiful Hadith and Forgiveness in Islam

This is truly a beautiful hadith. Very touching.  Many non Muslims think our religion is too hard and that we view Allah as only to be feared. Wheras, in reality Islam combines an equal amount of Love, Fear, and Hope.  We are only humans so inevitably we will make mistakes and sin from time to time. Often, we tend to despair when we commit a sin. But Alhamdullilah, our forgiveness is only a prayer away. We don’t need any intercessors. We don’t have to pray to anyone else. We have a direct link. Mash’Allah what a beautiful religion…….a beautiful Way of Life! 

On the authority of Anas, who said: I heard the messenger of Allah say (PBUH): Allah the Almighty has said: 
“O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as its.”

 To receive forgiveness from God there are three requirements:

  1. Recognizing the offense itself and its admission before God.
  2. Making a commitment not to repeat the offense.
  3. Asking for forgiveness from God.
If the offense was committed against another human being, or against society, a fourth condition is added:
  1. Recognizing the offense before those against whom offense was committed and before God.
  2. Committing oneself not to repeat the offense.
  3. Doing whatever needs to be done to rectify the offense (within reason) and asking pardon of the offended party.
  4. Asking God for forgiveness.
There are no particular words to say for asking forgiveness. However, Muslims are taught many phrases and words to keep repeating daily asking God’s forgiveness. For example:
  • Astaghfiru-Allah, “I ask forgiveness from Allah”
  • Subhanaka-Allah humma wa bi hamdika wa ash-hadu al la Ilaha illa Anta astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, “Glory be to You, Allah, and with You Praise (thanks) and I bear witness that there is no deity but You, I ask Your forgiveness and I return to You (in obedience)”.
Islamic teaching presents the prophet Muhammad as an example of someone who would forgive others for their ignorance, even those who might have once considered themselves to be his enemies. One example of Muhammad’s practice of forgiveness can be found in the Hadith, the body of early Islamic literature about the life of Muhammad. This account is as follows:

The Prophet (may peace be upon him) was the most forgiving person. He was ever ready to forgive his enemies. When he went to Ta’if to preach the message of Allah, its people mistreated him, abused him and hit him with stones. He left the city humiliated and wounded. When he took shelter under a tree, the angel of Allah visited him and told him that Allah sent him to destroy the people of Ta’if because of their sin of maltreating their Prophet. Muhammad (may peace be upon him) prayed to Allah to save the people of Ta’if, because what they did was out of their ignorance. 

The Doors of Repentance

by Imâm al-Madîna al-Munawarrah ‘Alî Abd-ur-Rahmân al-Hudhaifî

Allaah says:

 ”Whosoever desires honour, power and glory then to Allaah belong all honour, power and glory [and one can get honour, power and glory only by worshipping Allaah(Alone)]. To Him ascend (all) the goodly words i.e. and the righteous deeds exalt it (the goodly words i.e. the goodly words are not accepted by Allaah unless and until they are followed by by good deeds), but those who plot evils, -theirs will be a severe torment. And the plotting of such will perish.” (Faatir 35:10).

He also says: “And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation).Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation.” (Ghaafir 40:60). 

Humbleness to and love for Allaah can only be actualised through worshipping Allaah in all aspects. Among the major acts of worship isrepentance. Even the greatest repentance which is the highest and the most compulsory act of worship is repentance from disbelief. Allaah says regarding what Prophet Hood as told his people:
 ”And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him, He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strenght to your strength, so do not turn away as Mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah).” (Hood 11:52) 

Allaah also stressed while inviting the unbelievers unto repentance:
 ”If they then repent, it will be better for them, but if they turn away, Allah will punish them with a painful torment in this worldly life and in the Hereafter. And there is none for them on earth as a Wali (supporter, protector) or a helper.” (At-Tawbah 9:74) 

Repentance from all sins is obligatory on every adult Muslim. This is emphasized by Allaah is His saying: “And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.” (An-Noor 24:31) The meaning of ‘ Tawbah’ is to turn back to Allaah by abandoning all major and minor sins and to repent to Allaah from all known and unknown sins. Al-Agharr Al-Muzanee narrated that the Messenger of Allaah saws said:

 “O people! Repent to Allaah and seek for His forgiveness. I repent to Him in a day 100 times.” (Reported by Muslim).

A sincere repentance according to the scholars has conditions:

1. To discontinue the sin.
2. To regret over its occurrence.
3. To determine never to go back to that sin again.
4. To give back the right to whom it is due if the sin involves a man.

The Prophet saws has also informed us that repentance can be done any time during the day or night. Aboo Moosaa Al-Ash‘aree narrated that the Prophet saws said:

 “Allaah holds out His Hand during the night to receive the repentance of the one who has committed wrong during the day and holds outs His Hand during the day to receive the repentance of the one who has committed wrong during the night.” (Muslim)

Indeed, Allaah is very happy when any of His slaves repents. If he responds to the call of his Lord and repents, he will have a prosperous life in this world and the good rewards in the hereafter. If he however does not repent, Allaah will punish him for his sins and He is not unjust with anyone.

Be aware also dear brother, that, among the logical reasons behind Allaah’s love for His slaves’s repentance is that one of His attributes is ‘At-Tawwaab’ (the One who accepts repentance). It indicates that Allaah accepts the repentance even if it is done repeatedly. And this attribute necessitates the existence of a sinner who repents from his sins so that Allaah will accept his repentance and forgive him. All other beautiful names of Allaah are like that. Each name demonstrates a great attribute of Allaah that the name contains and each of Allaah’s Beautiful Names necessitates the appearance of its signs on the universe.

Another reason behind His love for His slave’s repentance is that Allaah Himself is the Benefactor, Master of Infinite Goodness; whoever obeys Him through repentance He will be kind to him and reward him in this world and the next and whoever neglects repentance, Allaah will be kind to him in this world and will punish him in the hereafter for his evil deeds; for your Lord is not unjust towards His slaves.

Further, it is alright to repent from some sins though one will be held responsible for sins that are not repented from.

Dear Muslims! Door of repentance is open to all and sundry until the sun rises from the west. It is then that the door of repentance will be closed and faith will be of no avail to a soul which has not believed before. Safwaan ‘Assaal narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allaah saws saying:

 “Allaah opened a door west side for seventy years for the purpose of repentance, it will not be closed until the sun will rises from the west.”
(At-Tirmidhee)

Allaah has also promised the best reward and good abode for the repentant when He says: 

“(The believers whose Allaah has purchased are) those who repent to Allaah (from polytheism and hypocrisy, etc.), who worship Him, who praise Him, who fast (or go out in Allaah’s cause), who prostrate themselves (in prayer), who enjoin (people) for Al-Ma‘ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all what Islam has ordained) and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds and all that Islam has forbidden), and who observe the limits set by Allah (do all that Allah has ordained and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden). and give glad tidings to the believers.” (At-Tawbah 9:112) 

To emphasize Allaah’s love for the repentance of His servant, the Prophet saws said:

 “Allaah is happier when a servant of His repents to Him than a man who was on his camel in a waterless desert and the camel escaped from him with his food and water. When he has lost hope of finding it, he retired to a tree and lied down under its shade. As he was there, the camel suddenly appeared in front of him. He took hold of its halter and said in his state of excessive joy: ‘O my Lord You are my servant and I am Your Lord’. He uttered this erronious statement as a result of his being over-joyed.”(Muslim)

Fellow Muslims! Repentance is an act of worship done by the Prophets, Messengers and pious people. Allaah says:

 “Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirun (Muslim emigrants who left their homes and came to A-Madinah) who followed him (Muhammad) in the time of distress (Tabuk expedition, etc.), after the hearts of a party or them had nearly deviated (from the Right Path), but He accepted their repentance. Certainly, He is unto them full of Kindness, Most Merciful.” (At-Tawbah 9:117) 

Muslim as a matter of necessity needs repentance every second of his life; he needs it after performing righteous deeds or after perpetrating forbidden acts. The Almighty says:

 “Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, tahat He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding Grace to every owner of grace (i.e. the one who helps and serves needy and deserving, physically and with good words). But if you turn away, then I fear for you the torment of a Great Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).” (Hood 11:3) 

Brothers in faith! Fear Allaah that you may attain His Pleasure and Paradise and be saved from His wrath and punishment. Allaah says:

 “ But as for him who repented (from polytheism and sins, etc.), believed (in the Oneness of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad), and did righteous deeds (in the life or this world), then he will be among those who are successful.” (Qasas 28:67) 

The Prophet saws also said:

 “Indeed, Allaah accepts the repentance of man as long as he hasnt started gargling (i.e. dying).”
Hasten to repentance and be consistent on that after every good deeds and bad ones. Allaah says: 

 “And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him (in Islam), before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped. And follow the best of that which is sent downto you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur’an, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not.” (Az-Zumar 39:54-55). 

Beware or wishful thinking that is caused by Satan and delusions of this finite world for, death can come suddenly. Some are indeed denied repentance by their unprepared ness for death and there are others who are lucky enough to repent sincerely before their death hence they are admitted among the righteous people by their Lord.

16 November 2010

ANGER: Ten Ways to Control It


1 – Seek refuge with Allah from the Devil:

Sulayman bin Sard narrated:
“I was sitting with the Prophet, when two men began slandering one another. One of them was red in the face, and the veins on his neck were standing out. The Prophet (s) said: “I know a word which, if he were to say it, what he feels would go away. If he said: “I seek refuge with Allah from the Devil,” what he feels would go away.’”
['Fath al-Bari'; 6/337]
The Messenger of Allah (s) said:
“If a man gets angry and says: “I seek refuge with Allah,” his anger will go away.”
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 695]

2 – Remain silent:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said:
“If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent.”
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 693]

3 – Sit down or lie down:


“Abu Dharr was taking his camels to drink at a trough that he owned, when some other people came along and said to one another: “Who can compete with Abu Dharr in bringing animals to drink and make his hair stand on end?” A man said: “I can.” So, he brought his animals and competed with Abu Dharr and ended up breaking the trough.Abu Dharr was standing when he saw this, so, he sat down, then he laid down. Someone asked him: “O Abu Dharr, why did you sit down then lie down?” He said: “The Messenger of Allah (s) said: “If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so that his anger will go away. If iit does not go away, let him lie down.”“”
[Reported in the 'Musnad' of Ahmad (5/152) and 'Sahih al-Jami' (694)]
al-Imam al-Khattabi said: “One who is standing is in a position to strike and destroy, while the one who is sitting is less likely to do that, and the one who is lying down can do neither. It is possible that the Prophet told the angry person to sit down or lie down so that he would not do something that he would later regret, and Allah Knows best.”
['Ma'alim as-Sunan'; 5/141]

4 – Smile:


Anas bin Malik narrated:
“I was walking with the Messenger of Allah (s), and he was wearing a Najrani cloak with a rough collar. A bedouin came and seized him roughly by the edge of his cloak, and I saw the marks left on his neck by the collar. Then the bedouin ordered him to give him some of the wealth of Allah that he had. The Prophet turned to him and smiled, then ordered that he should be given something.”
['Fath al-Bari'; 10/375]

5 – Remember the advice of the Prophet:

Abu Hurayrah narrated:
“A man said to the Prophet: “Advise me.” He said: “Do not become angry.” The man repeated his request several times, and each time the Prophet said to him: “Do not become angry.”
['Fath al-Bari'; 10/456]
According to another narration, the man later said: “I thought about what the Prophet said, and I realized that anger combines all kinds of evil.”
[Reported in the 'Musnad' of Ahmad; 5/373]

6 – Remember the high status of those who control themselves:


The Messenger of Allah said:
“The strong man is not the one who can overpower others. Rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry.”
[Reported in the 'Musnad' of Ahmad; 2/236, and it is authentic]
The Messenger of Allah also said:
“The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger.”
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 3859]
Anas bin Malik narrated
“The Messenger of Allah passed by some people who were wrestling. He asked: “What is this?” They said: “So-and-so is the strongest; he can beat anybody.” The Messenger of Allah then said: “Shall I not tell you who is even stronger then him? The man who, when he is mistreated by another, controls his anger, has defeated his own devil and the devil of the one who made him angry.”
['Fath al-Bari'; 10/519]

7 – Rewards for those who control their anger:


The Messenger of Allah said:
“Do not become angry, and Paradise is yours.”
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 7374]
The Messenger of Allah said:
“Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allah will call him before all of mankind on the Day of Resurrection, and will let him choose of the Hur al-’Ayn whoever he wants.”
[Reported by Abu Dawud (4777), and it is in 'Sahih al-Jami' (6518)]

8 – Remember that resisting anger is one of the signs of righteousness:


{“And march forth in the way to forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous; those who spend in prosperity and in adversity, repress anger, and pardon men. Verily, Allah loves the good-doers.”} [Al 'Imran; 134]

9 – Submit to reminders:


Ibn ‘Abbas narrated:
“A man sought permission to speak to ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, then he said: “O Ibn al-Khattab, you are not giving us much and you are not judging fairly between us.” ‘Umar was so angry that he was about to attack the man, but al-Hurr bin Qays – who was one of those present – said: “O Commander of the Believers! Allah said to His Prophet: {“Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish.”} [al-A'raf; 199], and this man is one of the foolish.” By Allah, ‘Umar could go no further after al-Hurr had recited this verse to him, as he a man who was careful to adhere to the Book of Allah.”
['Fath al-Bari'; 4/304]
…as opposed to how one of the hypocrites reacted when one of the Companions said to him: “Seek refuge with Allah from the Devil,” So, he replied: “Do you think I am crazy? Go away!”
['Fath al-Bari'; 1/465]

10 – Remember the bad effects of anger:

‘Alqamah bin Wa’il narrated:
“My father said to me: “I was sitting with the Prophet, when a man came to him leading another man by a rope. He said: “O Messenger of Allah, this man killed my brother.” The Messenger of Allah asked him, “Did you kill him?” He said: “Yes, I killed him.” He asked: “How did you kill him?” He said: “He and I were hitting a tree to make the leaves fall for animal feed, and then he insulted me, so I struck him on the side of the head with an axe and killed him.”"
['Sahih Muslim'; # 1307]

15 November 2010

Makkah Metro : The Journey of Hajj goes green



A high speed train to Makkah in Saudi Arabia will cut down on carbon emissions during hajj this year, but its reach is limited for now.

Every year, around three million Muslims from across the world prepare for the spiritual journey of a lifetime. Many will have been saving up for the trip for years and will be prepared to travel thousands of miles to reach their destination :  Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj.

As one of the five pillars of Islam, every Muslim who has the financial and physical ability is encouraged to make the pilgrimage to Makkah which is Islam’s most holy site. The question is can this pilgrimage, which in this Modern Age leaves behind trail of waste and carbon emissions, really be transformed into something more green.

The UN-backed Muslim Seven Year Plan which announced plans to encourage Muslims to be more environmentally friendly. This year for the first time ever, pilgrims will be able to reduce their carbon footprint during hajj by travelling between Makkah’s holy sites via a very green form of public transport- the train.
 
From this November 2010, the high speed train will be able to transport 130,000 passengers between the holy sites which will help reduce the number of vehicles on the roads and make hajj journeys more eco-friendly.

The Makkah Metro, officially known as the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro is an 18.1 kilometres (11.2 mi) long elevated metro under construction in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia for opening in November 2010. It is also known as the Makkah Metro, and is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a 'monorail'.
 

The Makkah Metro, as its been dubbed, is only in the first stages and is operating at 33 percent of its total capacity. It will be fully operational by hajj season 2011 and will carry around 500,000 passengers by then at the rate of 72,000 passengers an hour in a single direction. By the final stage in 2012 the metro, which has elevated tracks to avoid busy roads, will be able to transport up to two million people. This rail network is expected to reduce traffic by approximately 30,000 cars - so not only will it reduce congestion but it will also cut the noxious emissions which cars release. The introduction of the train network is clearly an important step towards making hajj more environmentally friendly.

It has been announced that Muslims wishing to use Makkah's first metro when they converge on the holy city next month for their annual pilgrimage will have to pay SR250 for a ticket that will serve them for seven days. Three different types of tickets will cover all holy sites in Makkah and will allow the pilgrims to take the train into the city to perform their rites before returning to their residence inside or outside the city, Ajel online newspaper said, quoting Habib Zain Alabidin, Undersecretary at the Saudi Ministry of Municipal affairs.

"The ticket's price is set at SR250 (US$ 67) that will cover a full trip into and out of Makkah for seven days... another ticket is priced at SR100 (US$ 27) for four days," he said.
Officials said last week the train has a capacity to transport 170,000 passengers in its first stage and two million when the third and final phase is completed.

Saudi Arabia has allocated nearly SR6.7 billion (US$ 1.8 billion) for the metro, which begins continuous service next month for the first time in Makkah's history. Officials expect the project to largely contribute to easing road congestions caused by the accumulation of thousands of cars near Makkah. Habib Zain Alabidin says the railway would operate throughout the year.

China Railway Construction Corp, part of a Saudi-French-Chinese consortium which won the contract, is carrying out the project, involving nearly 5,000 workers. The train is the Gulf’s second metro system after the Dubai Metro.
"Allah hath promised to Believers, men and women, gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens of everlasting bliss. But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of Allah: that is the supreme felicity." [The Holy Quran, Surah Al Tawbah 9:72]
 

Professor and Student



An atheist (Non believer of God) professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From...God...

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?
(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, 
son...Have you ever
seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your

God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor.Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? 

(The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain,sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

10 November 2010

Five Reasons why Allah uses problems


The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you – depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how Allah wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.

Here are five ways Allah wants to use the problems in your life:

1. Allah uses problems to DIRECT you.

Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.”


2. Allah uses problems to INSPECT you.

People are like tea bags…if you want to know what’s inside them, just drop them into hot ever water! Has God tested your faith with a problem What do problems reveal about you? “When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.”


3. Allah uses problems to CORRECT you.

Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It’s likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove…. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something… health, money, a relationship.. .. by losing it. “It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws.”


4. Allah uses problems to PROTECT you.

A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious.. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem – but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management’s actions were eventually discovered. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…”


5. Allah uses problems to PERFECT you.

Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you’re going to take with you into eternity. “We can rejoice when we run into problems…they help us learn to be patient.. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.”

Here’s the point:


God is at work in your life – even when you do not recognize it or understand it.
 
But it’s much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him.


Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched and moments shared along the way


Allah Knows Best…